Timing relay



March 26, 1946. MEL

TIMING RELAY Filed July 31, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 3040/? Efmmel BY fwd/F 2.

ATTORNEY biasing means are well known.

PatenteJMar. 26. 1943 v UNITED STATES PATENT oFnes 4 Claims.

This invention relates to time-limit relays and, more particularly, to adjustable means in a direct current relay for varying the time period of operation of the relay.

The subject matter of this application is related to that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 419,715, filed November 19, 1941, and the copending application of S. L. Burgwin, Serial No. 474,438, filed February 2, 1943, now Patent No. 2,373,998, granted April 17, 1945.

Time delay relays having an armature actuated by spring biasing means only when the strength of the decaying flux is less than the force of the In such relays the time-limit of operation is measured by the time which is required for the residual magnetism in a magnetic circuit to decayfrom a saturated condition to a point at which the force of a biasing means is sufiicierit to overcome the attractive force exerted on the armature by the residual magnetism. Forms of such relays are shown in the patent to W, G. Cook No. 1,753,983, issued April 8, 1930, and the patent to W. Schaelchlin et al., No. 1,979,709, issued November 6, 1934. As pointed out in these patents, the time-limit characteristics of a relay may be varied by inserting non-magnetic shims between the operating armature and the portion of the magnetic circult adapted to actuate the armature. However, this method of adjusting the time-limit charm teristics necessitates the dismantling of the relay in order to substitute shims of difi'erent tliicl= nesses and requires the use of shims manufactured to close tolerances since the relay is extremely sensitive to a small variation in the thickness of the shim.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a direct current inductive timelimit relay with an air gap extending transversely of the magnetic circuit thereof together with a rectilinearly movable adjusting member for varying the effective thickness of such air gap and thereby the time-limit characteristics of the relay.

A further object'is to provide a relay of the character referred to in which the air gap is a tapered slot between separate parts of a magnetic circuit respectively having facing surfaces inclined with respect to each other, and the adjustable member is a tapered plug slidably engageable with one of such surfaces and movable to different positions for varying the thickness of the gap between the plug and the other of such surfaces.

A further object is to provide a relay with manually adjustable means for varying the reluctance of its magnetic circuit together with means for indicating the time-limit characteristics of the relay for a given setting of the reluctanceadjusting means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the follow- Fig. 3 is a broken away view of a part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the relative positions of the parts as the armature is moved to open the contacts;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the relative positions of the parts after the armature has been actuated to open the contacts;

5 is a top plan View oi a part of the apparatus shown in Fig. i, more clearly showing the construel-Zen of the reluctance-adjusting means and the indicating means.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the adjusting and indicating parts of a difierent positicn; and

7 and 8 are views respectively simiiar to Figs. and 6, illustrating a modified form oi ad justine; and indicating means.

Reierrlng to the drawings, the numeral i indicates armature mounted for pivotal move-- ment on an i..-shaped magnetic member 2 can ried by" supporting structure 3. The magnetic circuit for the armature l is completed by the provision of a core member t secured to the magnetic member 2. The core t is provided with a copper sleeve 5 and a magnetizing coil 6. A neutraliaing coil (not shown) may be provided in connection with the core 4 for varying the timelimit characteristics of the relay in accordance with the above-mentioned patent to Cook. The parts thus far described form no part per se of this invention, and the above-mentioned patents to Cook and Schaelchlin may be referred to for a complete description of the construction and operation of such parts, the novel features of this invention being directed to adjusting means for the magnetic circuit.

The armature l is mounted for pivotal movell ment about the apex of a dihedral angle defined successive compartments, l6, l1, l8 and it of substantially equal capacity, each of these oompartments being provided with a coil 20 for passage of a heat exchange fluid which may be either a heating or cooling fluid, depending upon the particular conditions to be maintained as described hereinafter. The saponified mass leaving the last compartment I9 of the mixer I4 is P sed to a centrifugal 2|, where it is separated into spent aqueous reagent and grained soap phases, respectively.

The present invention rests upon the discovery that, by maintaining an extent of saponiflcation of the fatty acid of the fat fed to the mixer M which is below 70% or above 85% in each mixing compartment, the operation of separation of the grained soap from the aqueous reagent solution may be greatly facilitated. The primary conditions affecting the extent of saponiflcation of the available fatty acid are the amount and strength of the saponifying reagent, the degree of heat applied to effect saponiflcation and the time interval provided for such saponiflcation. The extent of saponiflcation in a given compartment may be increased by an increase in the value of any one of these four factors. In practice of the present invention, the available fatty acid may be saponified to an extent above 85% in the first compartment I'B of the mixer and thereafter maintained above this degree of saponiflcation (this is automatic, in case no further fat is added) or the extent of saponiflcation may be maintained below 70% throughout the four mixing compartments, the mixture passed through the centrifugal 2| being a mixture still containing at least 30% of fatty acid (combined or free) available for further saponiflcation. As a still further alternative, the available fatty acid may be saponified to an extent below 70% in the first mixing compartment [6 and raised to an extent above 85% in the second, third or fourth mixing compartment ll, I8 or l9, so long as care is taken to avoid production of a saponifled mass in any one of the four mixing compartments in which saponiflcation of available fatty acid has occurred to an extent between 70 and 85%.

As noted above, control of the process to maintain one of the several conditions discussed above coming within the scope of the invention may be attained by control of any one of several factors. For example, if it is desired to effect saponiflcation within the first mixing compartment I6 to an extent in excess of 85%, this may be attained by use of high ratio of lye to fat and by application of higher heat in the heater l5 and first mixing compartment l6 than would otherwise be em loyed. If the process is operated in this manner it may be desirable to cool the saponified reaction mixture after it leaves compartment IS, in which case cooling fluid may be applied in the coils of compartments l9, l8 or I1, or any two or three of these coils.

If, instead of operating the process to .attain saponiflcation in excess of 85% of the available fatty acid in compartment it, it is operated to effect saponiflcation of the fatty acid in this compartment to an extent below 70% and effect saponification above 70% and above 85% for the first time in a succeeding compartment (1. e., the compartment ll, l8 or l9) it may be desirable to apply heat locally in excess of the heat applied in the other compartments, in the compartment in which saponiflcation to an extent above 85% is first to be attained.

In discussion of Figure 1 of the drawing, we

have discussed the possibility of controlling the extent of saponiflcation in the respective compartments l6, l1, l8 and 19 by control of heat in these compartments. As noted above, the factor of time also plays an important part in such control. In Figure 2 of the drawing, we'have illustrated practice of a process similar in general to that of Figure l, but in which a mixer 24 has been substituted for the mixer It, the mixer 24 containing a first compartment 28 which is substantially larger than the succeeding compartments 21, 28 and 29. The use of a relatively large first compartment 28 facilitates the operation of obtaining saponiflcation of the available fatty acid of the fat to an extent above in this first compartment. Heat exchange means may also be used in connection with the type of compartmentation illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, Just as discussed above in connection with Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates a modification designed to facilitate obtaining saponiflcation below 70% in the first compartment 35 of the mixer 34, but effecting sufiicient saponiflcation in the larger second compartment 31 to produce a mixture of which the fatty acid has been saponified to an extent in excess of 85%. In both of Figures 2 and 3, the saponiflcation reaction mixtures passin compartments 21, 28 and 29 on the one hand, and the compartments 3B and 39 on the other, down-' stream from the compartment in which saponiflcation in excess of 85% is first attained, will also contain saponiflcation reaction mixtures saponified to an extent in excess of 85%.

As noted above in discussion of Figure 1 of the drawing, the invention may be practiced by maintaining the reaction mixture in each of the compartments of the mixer It in such condition that at least 30% of the available fatty acid is unsaponifled. Such an operation is particularly adapted to eflect depletion of the saponifying reagent in the first stage of the process, a feature which is always desirable per so, if it can be attained consistently with other features of economy of process operation. In connection with such a first stage, it is of course necessary to complete the saponiflcation in a subsequent stage or stages. Such subsequent stages should be conducted in accordance with the principles discussed above in order to obtain a reaction mixture best adapted for subsidence separation (e. 8., centrifugation) in that stage. Thus, when additional saponiflcation is first effected to cause the initially available fatty acid to be saponified to an extent in excess of 70%, the saponifying reaction should be conducted in such a manner as to bring the degree of saponiflcation to a point in excess of 85% in the very first mixer compartment in which saponiflcation in excess of 70% first occurs.

Figure 4 of the drawing illustrates the application of the principle discussed in the last preceding paragraph to practice of the second stage of a process in which the steps of Figure l of the drawing are performed to produce a grained soap from the first stage centrifugal containing available fatty acid from the initial fat in excess of 30% of the initially available fatty acid of said fat. As illustrated in Figure 2, the mixture of soap and fat from the centrifugal 2! is mixed with a further quantity of lye from container 40 in mixer 44, the first compartment 46 of this mixer being relatively large in order to provide ample time for saponiflcation to a point in excess of 85% in flow of the mixture through this teristics are commonly changed by inserting shims of different thicknesses between the armature and the core, are eliminated.

Since certain changes may be made in th above construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense..

I claim as my invention:

1. A direct-current time-limit relay comprising, in combination, a magnetizable structure having a sore portion and a leg portion substantially in parallel to each other, a spring biased armature pivotally mounted on said leg portion, said leg portion forming a magnetic gap substantially in parallel to the pivot axis of said armature, a magnetizable member normally stationary relative to said leg portion and displaceably arranged on said leg portion for varying said gap in order to thereby adjust the time-limit of the armature motion caused by its spring bias, and calibrated adjusting means mounted on said leg portion for displacing said member.

2. A direct-current time-limit relay comprising, in combination, a magnet core, a magnet irame and a pivoted armature forming together a magnetic circuit, a direct-current coil disposed on said core for magnetizing it to attract said armature, a spring for biasing said armature away from said core, said frame having an elongated tapered slot extending in a direction transverse to said circuit and substantially in parallel to the pivot axis of said armature, non-magnetic covers interconnecting said members and covering said slot, a magnetizable elongated and tapered plug normally stationary relative to said frame and displaceably arranged in said slot between said covers, one of said covers having a slot, and movable indicating means engaging said plug' through said slot for displacing it in order to adjust the time limit of the spring actuated armature motion.

3. A direct-current time-limit relay comprising, in combination, a magnetic circuit having a core portion and a leg portion and an armature pivoted on said leg portion, a direct-current coil disposed on said core portion for magnetizing it to attract said armature, a spring for biasing said armature away from said core portion, said leg portion having an elongated tapered slot extending in a direction transverse to said circuit and substantially in parallel to the pivot axis of said armature, a magnetizable tapered plug normally stationary relative to said leg portion and arranged in said slot so as to be displaceable in said direction for varying the time-limit of the spring actuated armature motion away from said core portion, a pin mounted on said plug and extending at a right angle to said pivot axis, and an adjusting member pivotally mounted on said leg portion in face-to-face relation thereto and having a slot engaging said pin for displacing said plug.

4. A direct-current time-limit relay comprising, in combination, a magnetic circuit having a core portion and a leg portion and an armature pivoted on said leg portion, a direct-current coil disposed on said core portion for magnetizing it to attract said armature, a spring for biasing said armature away from said core portion, said frame having a tapered slot extending in a direction transverse to said circuit and substantially in parallel to the Pivot axis of said armature, a magnetizable tapered plug normally stationary relative to said frame and arranged in said slot so as to be displaceable in said direction for varying the time-limit of the spring actuated armature motion away from said core portion,

adjusting means movably mounted on said leg portion and engaging said plug for displacing said plug and a scale of indicia for showing the position of said adjusting means as an indication of the adjusted time limit.

I RALPH B. IMMEL. 

